“I know, Carter,” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him to me. “I know.”
Chapter thirty
Carter
It’sbeenfourdayssince the security breach in Sydney, and its impact still hangs over us, even after an uneventful concert in New Zealand. Kelsey has been handling the fallout like a pro, but I can see the exhaustion etched into her face. The kind of exhaustion that’s not just physical, but mental. She’s been working nonstop trying to get everything back on track, and though she’ll never admit it, I can tell the toll it’s taking on her. The stress in her eyes, the tightness in her shoulders—it’s all there, even if she tries to hide it.
Tonight, I’m determined to give her a break—and celebrate our first Valentine’s Day together.
I’m in my nicest white button-down and gray slacks when I meet Kelsey in our hotel lobby. When she sees me, her eyes soften for a moment, a look of someone who just found a temporary shelter in the storm, even if she saw me briefly when she ran into our room to shower and change twenty minutes ago. If she’s not out on long runs,she’s in the hotel’s business center, the small room now fully turned into her command post.
I give her a soft smile.
“Ready to escape for a bit?” I ask, holding out my arm for her to take.
She raises an eyebrow. “Escape? From what? Our job that we both most certainly still have to do while we’re gone?”
I chuckle. “We’re going to take one night off. You deserve it. No emails, no phone calls. Just dinner and me.”
Her eyes soften again, this time in a way that makes my chest tighten. “I wish I could, Carter, but you know I can’t do that. Can’t we just agree to a dinner that’s interrupted by texts and the occasional phone calls?”
“Normally, yes,” I say, pulling her a little closer. “But tonight? No. Tonight, it’s just us. No work. No distractions. And”—I cut her off as she starts to protest—“before you say no, know that I already made Jaxon promise not to leave his room, and I talked Lila into covering everything that would be going through you. Your team knows to route everything through her for the next four hours. Just four.”
She sighs, but there’s a slight twinkle in her eyes as she slides her arm through mine. “Well, as it appears you’ve thought of everything, I guess I’m in.”
“Well, not everything—I may have realized about two minutes ago that men traditionally buy their girlfriends flowers on Valentine’s Day…and I have none.”
“Girlfriend, huh? Are we throwing aroundlabels now?”
“Yes. You are, without a doubt, my girlfriend. I realize we haven’t talked about it, but that’s definitely what I want.”
She offers me a wicked grin, one that makes sparks shoot up and down my body.
“Well, come on, then, boyfriend. Show me what you’ve got planned for tonight.”
The car ride is short, but the city of Buenos Aires is alive with energy. Even on a Thursday night, it never sleeps. The streets are full of people walking, laughing, talking. Even in the backseat, I feel the vibrancy of the city pulsing around us.
We arrive at a classic Argentine steakhouse, the brick building tucked away on a cobblestone street. The moment we walk in, the smell of sizzling meat hits me, and my stomach growls in response. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was.
We’re led to a small corner table with a view of the grill, the flames licking up as the chefs work their magic. I can see Kelsey’s shoulders relax just a little as she sits down, taking in the ambiance.
The waiter hands us the menus, and I notice Kelsey scanning the options, her eyes narrowing as she reads through them.
“So are you thinking steak…or steak?” I tease.
She rolls her eyes. “If I’m being honest, I could eat an entire cow right now.”
“Don’t tempt me.” I grin. “We’re here for the experience. Argentina is famous for its beef, so go ham—or go beef, I guess.”
It’s a terrible pun, but Kelsey chuckles anyway.
I study my menu but pull my eyes from the list of cuts of beef when I notice Kelsey stretching her neck. The tension is back in her face.
“It’ll all still be there when you get back,” I say.
Her eyes soften a little. “Yeah. I know. It’s just hard to push the work stuff out of my head.”
I nod, understanding what she means. I don’t want to talk about it, though. Not tonight. We’ve dissected it every which way, and until her team gets a solid lead, there is only so much I can contribute.
